THE energy think tank Center for Energy Research and Policy (CERP) recently presented findings on energy security and sustainable tourism development to Department of Tourism (DOT) officials, following the devastating impact of Siargao's 14-day blackout in December 2024.
During the meeting, DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar Tamano and Assistant Secretary Judilyn Quiachon received findings from CERP’s study “Blackout in Siargao: Energy Security for Tourism-Dependent Economies.”
Tourism Infrastructure at Risk
The Siargao blackout highlighted critical vulnerabilities facing Philippine tourism destinations. The outage, caused by a 41-year-old submarine cable failure, affected nine municipalities, including General Luna, home to the world-famous Cloud 9 surf break that draws thousands of international visitors annually.
According to CERP’s analysis, the 14-day outage resulted in approximately P1.09 billion in economic losses, with tourism businesses reporting daily losses of P10,000 to P30,000. The crisis occurred during a busy holiday season, resulting in widespread cancellations of reservations and forcing resorts, hotels, and restaurants to shut down their operations.
“Energy disruptions have a profound ripple effect on tourism activities, causing both direct and indirect economic impacts,” said CERP lead economist Yla Paras. “The tourism industry can only function and thrive with a stable and sufficient electricity supply.”
The discussion revealed that energy insecurity extends beyond Siargao to other major destinations. Palawan continues to experience scheduled blackouts, affecting its role as a tourism gateway, while Boracay suffered an 18-hour power outage in May 2025.
Siquijor was declared under a state of calamity in June 2025 following a month-long power outage that forced tourism businesses to close. The 2024 Panay Island regional blackout cost Iloilo alone P3.8 billion over a four-day period.
Collaborative Solutions
DOT officials acknowledged the need for integrating energy considerations into tourism planning. The department noted existing initiatives, including MOAs with the Department of Energy for tourism establishment energy audits and sustainable power programs for resorts.
CERP offered research support combining legal, economic, and engineering expertise to help integrate energy security into tourism frameworks and assist local governments with destination planning that considers infrastructure capacity.
The discussion identified key challenges, including many local governments lacking technical capacity for comprehensive infrastructure planning alongside tourism development.
Tourism development often follows reactive rather than proactive approaches, with infrastructure planning happening after rather than before tourism investment.
Many emerging destinations remain off-grid or have inadequate power infrastructure to support sustainable tourism growth.
Both organizations agreed to establish ongoing collaboration on energy-tourism integration. CERP committed to sharing its upcoming Siquijor study with DOT and providing research assistance for tourism-energy planning frameworks.
DOT will help facilitate connections with local government units that could benefit from energy security assessments.
The meeting laid the groundwork for addressing energy security as a fundamental aspect of sustainable tourism development across the Philippines, where tourism contributes P2 trillion (8.6 percent) to the national GDP and employs 12.9 percent of the Philippine workforce. (PR)